The two teams led by Victor entered the forest in a single line formation. They quickly ran into the trees until everyone was within their cover. There was much vegetation and stringy weeds that covered the forest floor. The humidity guaranteed a lush color and height of many of the shrubs found inside. Victor threw out his open hand, ordering for the team behind to spread out. He then lowered his hand for everyone to kneel and keep their eyes out. Victor brought up his radio and looked at his watch. He began to whisper into it as he looked around the forest. He asked the Tamers to move to the front and the fighters to the back with the Dragoons. Victor then called the Tamers to use their familiars with scent sensitive noses to try and track the nearest body of water even thought the humidity could make that a bit harder for them. The Aria would move in a wedge formation, spread out I order to scout a larger area ahead while the dragoons would cover them all from behind. Victor finished on the radio and raised his hand to lift them all to their feet in order to continue. It was difficult to move around in the forest with all the vegetation but at a steady pace, they could pick their footing and avoid excess noise and spot tracks on the ground that could lead to potential nourishment. The map that they had been given gave elevation and land formations. It was type of map that Victor was quite familiar with but it looked old and that meant that some bodies of water could have dried up over time. He looked at his compass strapped onto his vest and checked that they were headed in the right direction. If they followed a straight path east, they would eventually come across a river that was fed by a higher elevation which probably meant a waterfall, considering the contour lines were so close together around a single point. Victor could not see the Aria and Tamers ahead of him and the second team but they would periodically slow their pace to check their positioning with Victor as their reference point. Looking over his watch, Victor noticed it was time for the next channel hop. He held up a fist and knelt along with everyone else. He then texted a number over his phone to everyone on team white. After that was done, Victor heard one of the Tamers come over the radio. One of their familiars had found feces of an animal in their path. Victor kept everyone in a holding position but directed the dragoons to face out and look about the area for hostiles. He then began to make his way up to the tamer's position. The tamer was pointing down to a fern. Victor crouched to look under the fern and saw the small pile. It was of a medium size which could mean a deer. He used his first two fingers to press the pile and felt for temperature and examined what the animal had ate. It was a plant eater and felt a bit colder than Victor would have liked. He stood back up and nodded at the Tamer before returning to his place in between the two teams. With a wave of the hand, everyone began to move forward again. The Aria reported in considerable fauna suitable for consumption but Victor prioritized water. Having the Aria and Tamers would make the hunt much easier. With the Dragoons help, they could secure multiple deer or wild pigs for their team. If they didn't have to carry everyone's canteens and water pouches, they might have been able to bring back enough to feed them for weeks, but that wasn't the idea. After a good while, Victor stopped the group and had them take a few minutes to rest. He set up a three hundred and sixty degree area of security with the dragoon at the outermost layer and the Aria in the center. While one would drink water and eat a snack, the other would watch over their sector in the circle. Victor knelt at the center and pulled out his map. He then pulled up his canteen from behind his vest and began to drink some of the last of that canteen's contents. Screwing the cap back on, he put the canteen away and looked over he map and checked his compass once more. They were just a few dozen feet off their intended course, due to the vegetation in their path, but were mostly in a straight path for the river. After a few more minutes, they would stand up and continue their path through the wilds of the forest, under the shades of the trees.
Post Word Count:803 Total Word Count: 10346 Mobility: 299/299 Qi Level: 18,950/18,950
After a few minutes, Victor and the group began to move again. They rearranged themselves into two wedges or “V”s pointed in the direction of travel. The group was running low on water and their conditioned stomachs were already growling for food. Victor knew it put their focus off a bit and that meant a lot in the situation they were in. They never stopped sweating since they left the cool underground catacombs of the ruins. Even they were out of the arid climate of the desert, the forest still produced enough obstacles for them to work up a sweat and keep sweating. Their fluids were being lost both through their skin and through wastes but they were making good progress. Victor then got a call in from the Tamers ahead, having spotted water in the air and he sound of rushing water through their perceptive familiars. Victor confirmed their report and was relived that they were not far from the river now. Before they would expose themselves out to the clearing of the riverside, Victor had them kneel once more and began to whisper into the radio. He directed the Dragoons to split in half. One half would line up at the tree line looking out to the river and the other half facing back the way they had come. There would be an Aria in between every two Dragoons and together they would secure the area. Once they understood, they began to move swiftly but stealthily, keeping their heads low and using the ferns and shrubs that covered the forest floor for cover. Victor could see the tree line and the clearing just outside. Once they were in position, Victor joined the Aria in scanning the area. The forest was alive with all kinds of animals, from winged to furred. There were plenty of sounds in the depths of the trees and Victor was happy with that. With exception of a few huddled wild pigs a few hundred meters on the other side of the river, there were no major signatures in the area. The Dragoon were scanning with the few scopes they had, looking up at the distant waterfall. There was a bridge in the distance and rocky elevations that could be perfect perches for snipers. After a few moments, all was deemed clear and Victor directed the Tamers and Fighters take for the river. He joined them and saw that the water was running fresh and clear. Victor began by filling his own canteen before dropping his backpack and filling the others he had inside. The others were doing the same and quickly in order to reduce exposure time. After filling up, Victor realized that it would be wise to set up traps for any animal looking to drink from the river. While that particular spot was too wild for a deer or something to peacefully drink, some slow patch further down could prove better grounds. He then noticed a small splash come from the river and saw that it was fish coming from under it's depths. Standing to his feet, Victor realized that it would be a good alternative to mammal game should they fail to secure meat. With full backpacks, the Tamers and Fighters walked back into the forest line. Victor asked them to take the places of the Aria and Dragoons so that they might fill their packs. Victor knelt by the forest line and scanned out in the area with the rest of the line to cover the ones at the river. Victor noticed a deer about two hundred meters north, up the river but in the forest, surely grazing. He moved on and kept up his vigilance, making a mental note of the deer. His own stomach was crying out for food and the thought of a deer over the fire made his appetite spike. After the others had filled their containers and their team's containers with water, they headed back into cover and set up a circle of security again. Victor began to whisper into the radio and began to give them a plan for the hunt. They were to stalk the deer but only two people would be necessary. Victor would send one Aria who would spot the deer and one Dragoon to snipe it silently. Considering not many had silencers, it would be best to send only one. If the deer was to flee, the Aria would contain it in a barrier from which the Dragoon could then fire on it like fish in a barrel. Victor picked the two that would go out and pointed them in the right direction. He let them know that they would set up a small area of security from which they could operate from until it was time to head back. When the two had left, Victor turned at the center of the circle and looked around the area, thinking. He began to speak into the radio again, asking the Aria to lock back onto the location of the larger mammals. With that done, Victor sent three of them out along with Dragoons to execute the same plan. The rest would remain to secure the small area. Victor watched as the small pairs left for the hunt which shouldn't take long. He opened up the map and looked over the expanse of the island and how far off the Black Teams headquarters was. He studied the map, finding that there were two paths to their base. One was almost a straight shot after taking the range up by the height of the waterfall. It would then lead to a hill that connected them to the mountains and in turn their base. Victor knew they had the advantage when it came to elevation. They could set up Dragoons to fire down the mountain on any intruders which would be easily spotted by Aria. Knowing this, Koga would probably take his time inside, giving out commands to his team while feeling powerful behind mountain walls. The other path was one that winded through the arctic region. It began at a northern glacial village sitting at the base of a glacier, hence it's name. A path would take them through the mountains, surely a cold journey and a longer one at that. It looked to come up at a steep angle to their base which meant a steep climb. Anyone would agree that the hilltop path was the easier and safer of the two but that meant that it would be the most predictable. Surely, there were traps being set there if not already set. They also had larger numbers, that could be proven by the proctor's message of their effectiveness over their respective Salamander attack. The phone vibrated in Victor's vest and he pulled it out to respond. One of the Dragoons was calling in a successful kill. Victor congratulated them and asked them to give their position. After that had been received, Victor dispatched a fighter to go and assist them in bringing back the game.
Post Word Count:1174 Total Word Count: 11520 Mobility: 299/299 Qi Level: 18,950/18,950
After an hour or so there was a confirmation of three kills. Victor began to prepare the group for a return to the base satisfied with their take. He tied the legs of the first two deer, does, and designated their carriers. The carriers then gave up their equipment to two of their teammates. As the third was being carried in by the third team, the fourth pair had returned with word of their failure to catch the beast. Victor acknowledged their effort and reintegrated them into the circle. The deer that had been brought last had actually been a buck and a large one at that. Victor was impressed at it's size and designated two strong Fighters to carry it. He tied the legs of the last two deer using his para-cord from his pack. The Aria and Tamers had returned to the circle and the Fighters prepared to carry the deer. Victor called their attention and began to explain their egress formation. He let them know that the Scouts would take up the front again but Fighters carrying most of the gear would be closer to the center with Victor. Tamers would take up the Fighter's positions at the front and the Dragoons would keep their normal positions in the second team behind the center with a few Aria spread out to maintain a three-sixty field of vision. They would move in a single file, traversing already explored ground and would expedite their retreat. Their pace would be a bit slower due to the new load and the desire to remain unseen. With the formation and pace understood by the group, Victor stood them up and formed them up. In position, they began to move forward once again, heading back the way they came. The thickness of the forest wasn't any less thick and their movements required more effort with the weight of water and meat. Victor didn't stop as he sent out another text to his White Team. He wondered how operations back at base were going. Victor didn't know Akemi very much but if she had passed her classes, her mapping skills would be more than sufficient. With the help of the Squads at base, she would have little trouble in reaching the depths of the ruins. Although skeletons had emerged from the depths of the ruins, Victor doubted that they would be attacked so soon. If they were to be attacked, he hoped that Alexandria had already begin efforts to fortify. Victor had a plan to abandon the base but after considering different factors, including enemy familiar abilities, a strong underground systems of passageways could help use their small numbers to their best. Ignazio would surely send out teams to prod and scout them. He was smart enough not to send his forces blindly into the ruins. If anything, the Black King would try and barricade them inside or draw them out somehow to pull them from their advantageous hole. It was all a game of time and Victor knew that time worked for no one. He considered the factor of a traitor on their team but it could be anyone. Alex, Akemi, Joushi, if he was still around or any other team member from another school. Victor couldn't think of where the Joushi had gone. He refused to think that he was placed on Black Team after it had been said that they could keep their organized Teams from the first exam. Victor couldn't remember seeing the pink haired boy's score on the written exam but he couldn't have failed it. He never saw Joushi struggle in class like he did and the few times that Victor did pay attention, he noticed that Joushi's grades were always above his. That meant that Joushi must have passed if Victor had. He knew that they could surely use Joushi's help. With any luck, he would be there waiting on them when they returned. The fiasco at the restaurant was still fresh on Victor's mind but he had pushed that aside. It was too much to bear at a time like that but he was not going to forget. He would confront Alexandria soon enough, even if that meant that they were not to be together like Victor had wanted. Before he began to ponder of it, Victor preoccupied himself with keeping a constant field of Qi perception alike the Aria. After a while, Victor stopped them for a break from which they drank water and ate a snack to hold them until they ate again. Victor chewed on a granola bar and drank half of his canteen. He was feeling good but the constant pressure of combat kept Victor from relaxing. His guys felt the same and didn't look to each other very often for fear of missing something in the environment. Victor figured that they would be met with some sort of hostility by the call of the proctor but he hoped that they would make it out before then. With the short break done with, Victor got them moving again. The limits of the forest could be seen as they neared the edge. Victor could feel the heat rising as they got closer but he knew that they were that much closer to home base. When they reached the tree line, Victor had them scan their rear one last time before sending them out in a scattered staggered formation. The sun was just as unforgiving as earlier that day but with the morning's spoils in tow, Victor felt lie they were moving forward.
Post Word Count:929 Total Word Count: 12449 Mobility: 299/299 Qi Level: 18,950/18,950
It had been only a few hours since Alexandria had made her way out of the wretched desert, and into town. She wasted no time to find lunch and bathe, and managed to sleep even if it was only a few short hours. The nap having been interrupted by an obnoxious ring of a new email- one the young doctor in truth wasn’t ready to see. Her opponent had been decided and the time of the next stage of battles was now. It seemed quite the troublesome affair- she and Lloyd both had been up roughly twenty-four hours and had participated in at least some battles in that time. Surely a poor timing or perhaps another test. The young girl wasted no time dressing once more, although this time a slightly different outfit. Wearing a simple white button-up shirt and a loose, light weight skirt that fell about to her knees. The skirt was a dark blue nearly black in color, and would allow greater range of movement than that of the shorter but stiffer ensemble she called a school uniform. As, neither the blouse nor skirt were laced with chain mail. Slipping her tall socks on once more Alexandria slipped her feet into her tight leather boots before securing her belt around her waist, checking the small container like bags were in their place. Alexi’s olive gaze wandered around the room as she went through a mental checklist of things she needed, remembering the suitcase beneath the bed- a small name pen. She’d taken it off to bathe only a few hours before, and now the pale haired doctor pulled the suit case once more from its place and popped the locks on either side. Opening the brief case the girl could see a number of objects from her participation in the second exam- the two tone bandanna, chain with a number of jewels on it, flashlight, flare gun, and finally the name pen. Taking the pen in her hand Alexi secured it to her blouse before pushing the brief case back under her bed before pushing up from the ground and making her way out into the hallway. There was a long walk ahead of her.
Alexi could only shake her head as she went over the thoughts of moments past in her head, ‘They are really running us like dogs for this damned exam.. Can’t they give me a moment of peace..? Can’t I mourn if only for a day..?’ The pale haired girl thought to herself as her steps took her through the vast forest around her. It seemed to be predominately bamboo, although the further she traveled through the darkness of night the more it became apparent there was a mix of trees. The straight edges of bamboo melting into more organic shapes. Her right hand rested on the hilt of her rapier as she walked, she couldn’t be sure of what was out there nor was she interested in providing a beacon of light to summon the monsters that the game master seemed to control at a whim. Instead the girl opted to travel by what pale light pierced the tree tops. It felt like it had been an hour or more sense she embarked on this journey- yet there wasn’t a sense of any life around. The young doctor began to wonder to herself if she was the first to make it to the area- if so it played to her advantage.. Alexandria really didn’t want to run into the Sword Saint and his pets unaware. ‘I rather have the jump on you. Friend. Even if it’s only for a moment.. That’s all I’ll need.’ She thought to herself as a smirk crossed her lips, her olive gaze once more scanning the dense woods around her. A plan having already come to mind.
Soon the girl stood near to the end of a small spit of land that was connected bridges to a small plateau. It seemed to be the middle of this “arena” if one could call the forest and nearby mountain face such. But the fair haired doctor didn’t make an approach towards either of the bridges, leaning up against one of the trees in wait, the shade of the massive trunk obscuring her presence for now.
[ENTER]
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Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2014 11:14 pm
OOC: || Word Count: 1097 Yggdmillennia Seal: On Back of Blazer & Vest, and as a small emblem on the front breast.
Now, he had intended to head back into Howling City for a variety of purposes. One, was so that he could return to the Hotel and then rest for a little while within his own room. He had contemplated even spending a little bit more money by going out to get from from any of the cheaper areas around the city. It would undoubtedly be cheaper than whatever it was the hotel or Homura could sell to him and since it was only being used as a snack it was perfect. Then when he had eaten he would take some water to his face in order to clean it off before proceeding to clean his own blade as well. If at all possible, he also intended to actually lay down and catch a quick nap. Just enough to get a large amount of rest. But no. He was not allowed to do such things. With the way the universe was set up, no, with the way the entertainers who ran the exams were set up, battle behind battle was what brought in more viewers. The only thing that brought even more viewers than that? Skilled fighters. When his phone had vibrated once more, he took it out, and after scanning over its contents he released something of an annoyed sigh. Without even speaking to Ignazio, he had simply flashed his phone so that the male would see and understand before turning on his heels and proceeding down a different route. The more things he brought him, the slower he moved. So, in turn, the blazer that he held around his arm was released before his pace quickened slightly. If he had his way, he would have preferred a simply ear piece as opposed to carrying around such a burner phone.
His opponent, like himself, was not opposed to killing if it came to it. Not only that, but she was rather skilled in the use of her rapier. That aside, there was still the question of what she could do with her meister type being a doctor. A doctor was generally not seen as one to engage in battle, but she instead was both a Doctor and a Knight. Since this held true, it was feasible for her to have some type of drinking liquid that could enhance her physical capabilities right? On an opposite side, it stood to reason that she could also possess something that would affect him in a negative way. If so, then regardless of what she carried on her, he would have to be extra wary of everything she did. Her movements, her breathing, how she chose to continue their battle. All of it. But, this was all without taking into consideration the true nature of the rapier she wielded. From what he had seen in their brief fight within Homura, her blade had some sort of poison on it that induced some form of paralysis. That, was something he could not allow to happen.
Although, in a similar sense, his familiars still gave him a slight advantage over her as well. Since their second battle had ended not too long ago, he was almost sure that anyone who had been there when Lloyd had made Sirzechs his familiar would have revealed the nature of the puppy he carried around with him all the time. Seeing as the knowledge would more than likely remain fresh in her mind, there was no point in trying to keep Cerberus as a trump card. But, no one knew of Celebron's abilities and the Cat Sidhe perched on his shoulder may very well have been the one thing he needed. In the end, it mattered not. One of them would emerge victorious by the end, and in the end, one of them would hold a rank higher than the other. "Lloyd." Sirzech's voice. The small puppy walking besides him never faltered from his position. His pace matched Lloyd's almost perfectly, despite the fact that Lloyd's height gave him a longer stride of Sirzechs while in his smaller form. "I hear your thoughts. Why are you that worried?" questioned the dog demon without looking up at his master. Likewise, Lloyd never paused to look down at his demon. "It is not myself that I worry for. My opponent has lost someone very dear to her and I would have preferred that she be allowed to grieve before she had to fight any of us. Yet, here we are, prepared to go into battle against that same person. However, even through my worry for her, I will not be going any easier on her than I would any other opponent." In a battle one did not have the time to show such a weakness and if she showed it to him at all, he would attack with the intent to kill her.
For now, his strikes would be made with the intention of making it so that she could not move to strike him again when the exam ended. "I take it you would have us attack without holding back as well?" The apparent silence after he had finished asking his question was enough for Sirzechs to realize that Lloyd meant every word he had said. "Stop asking stupid questions, big dog. Lloyd is in the zone right now and were going to crush her." His walking through the forested area had brought him out and into a clearing of sorts. Before him was a separate piece of land connected only by two bridges of sorts. The land in the middle was large enough for them to have a battle without interruption, but the entire forest was there fighting area. As he continued walking forwards his senses seemed to open as he waited for any sign that Miss Ferdinand would arrive. Given how slow he had been moving in order to conserve energy, he was sure that she would have beat him to their exam ground. "Lloyd." So she had beat him. His walking continued till he was just about near one of the connecting bridges. Unsheathing Durandal, he turned on his heels before pointing his blade forwards at the foliage around him. "Miss Ferdinand. I know that you are there so you might as well come out from your hiding place." Even if she could conceal herself from his line of sight, she could not hide herself from Sirzech's noise and his greater power of smell. If she did not emerge from her positioning within the forest, then he would set the forest ablaze.
”There is no rule against the opponent arriving ahead of time, just as there is no rule for your opponent to leave their hiding spot.” a voice called out along the wind. The voice was light yet seductive; it was the voice of a woman. With great grace and agility, a slender figure came from above and landed behind Lloyd and his familiars. The woman sat on top of a rock. Her cold, snake like eyes glancing at the familiars and the back of the male; the woman had a short ponytail, with hair as black as the night sky. She was wearing a navy blue trench coat, over a black sport bra; she had pitch black leather pants, that perfectly hugged her lower body, and black combat boots over the pants that stopped short of her knees. As the woman stood up, it was revealed that she had on a pair of suspenders as well as a blue chocker around her neck. She took a few steps forward and stretched her arms above her head. ”Now, how about we get started. Hey girl! I hope you can hear me, because I won’t be repeating myself.” She called out as she stopped about three feet away from Lloyd’s body. Her eyes never changed as she looked at the male and then over to the forest. She was calm, yet strikingly deadly in the manner she carried herself. ”The first match of the preliminary round will begin momentarily; my name is Alphard Alshua and I will be your proctor for this match. As you are aware, this whole forest will play as your arena. You are allow to fight anywhere within this arena. Should you try and leave the arena, you’ll be met with either a bullet or by the barrier that will be activated five minutes from the start of this match.” she began. Her voice was direct, she never raised her voice, yet she kept it loud enough for Alexandria to hear her from her position.
Alphard closed her eyes for a second and then opened them before taking a step forward. ”This match is between Lloyd Yggmillennia and Alexandria Ferdinand; there is no time limit set for this match. Your assignment is to immobilize your opponent; you are not limited to simply defeating your opponent or killing them either. For any reason you believe you cannot continue fighting all you need to do is raise your right arm and forfeit your rights, or if I believe you cannot continue the match, I will personally step in and end the match. Once the match has been announced as over, you will not attack each other, nor will you engage in any offensive techniques against the other combatant or myself; doing so will result in you either losing a limb or being shot on sight.” she continued as she took another step forward and continued before she reached the center of the plat form and then turned her back to the male and the forest, in which Alexandria had strategically placed herself. Alphard was always interested in seeing a female exorcist overcome a male in combat, especially one from a family such as the Yggmillennia. ”As you are aware, the pins with your names on them, are also tracking devices, which is how you are monitored, for vitals as well as your position. If you take it off, you forfeit the match. I shouldn’t have to remind you about this, but this forest is covered in hidden cameras, as well as massive cameras that are hovering above you. The cloaking technology we are employing with these cameras is government class; in other words, we don’t want you destroying the expensive cameras so we’re hiding them from you. ” Alphard sung as she took a leap forward and landed on top of a tree branch. ”Let the first match of the preliminary exam, begin!” she called out as she looked out towards the two combatants.
Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2014 9:57 am
OOC: || Word Count: 575 Yggdmillennia Seal: On Back of Blazer & Vest, and as a small emblem on the front breast.
Following the female voice, a shadow was cast overhead, and seeing as it was not Miss Ferdinand's voice, he did not bother moving from his positioning. It seemed that even at the arrival of their proctor Miss Ferdinand would not be moving from her position within the trees. "How rude. You think she would at least have the common courtesy to show herself." Celebron's words were like daggers, but fortunately, it seemed like Alphard was not a tamer and as such, could not hear the Small Cad Sidhe's words. On that thought, his mind flashed to Miss Ferdinand. She was not a tamer by any means either which meant that his familiars were free to speak without fear of being heard. Depending on how he used that ability, it could also become a possible advantage. Listening closely to ever word of their proctor's explanation, he sighed softly. The hidden cameras were brought up in a way that practically advised him against having Cerberus burning down the forest. The hidden cameras hovering above him would not be a problem unless he had one of his familiars attacking in the air. Otherwise, he would simply have to apologize to his family for the destruction of whatever cameras happened to be attacked within the forest. Once Miss Alshua had signaled the beginning of their preliminary exam Lloyd watched as she took to a tree branch. In response, he made his way across one of the connecting bridges as Sirzechs ran across the parallel bridge in order to meet him on the other side. Having moved to the center of the attached piece of land, he and the dog demon turned outwards to face the forest behind them. "Sirzechs." The familiar tensed.
He doubted Miss Ferdinand would come out to meet him, so if he could not get her to come out to meet him willingly, then he would have to try and force her hand. In response to his words, the dog demon let out a low growl before his body began to change. First, two cute little heads began to form before his size drastically increased adding to the weight of the dog demon as well. When its normal size had been taken up he released a tremendous howl that caused birds within the trees to fly away at the notion of danger. When the beast took a step forwards flames seemed to leak from its mouth and with the opening of his jaw a large fireball was released and sent flying towards the trees that Sirzechs had smelled Miss Alexandria near. If the front row of trees had not been incinerated, then their catching fire would spread to the trees near them. Could a hidden camera possible be destroyed, maybe, but it was a price to pay. "If she does not come out, then what? Will we level the entire forest? Or perhaps, hope that she's incinerated in one of Sirzech's attacks?" The small Cat Sidhe seemed to bounce up and down on his shoulder in excitement for the battle to come. If he was excited, then he was alert, so there was no need to calm his familiar down as of yet. His grip on Durandal never weakened since there was no telling what would happen in this battle. He would remain alert until their battle ended. When it did end, he would more than likely go straight to the hotel and pass out.
It wasn’t a long wait till her opponent made his way into the forest, his voice standing out from the soft sounds of insects and silence of the night. It wasn’t much of a chore to pick up on his words, even if it were only half the conversation. He eventually directed his words towards her- how she may as well leave the shroud of the trees and fight him directly. ‘Do you take me for a fool..? I wouldn’t ask you to hold back on using your pets to make this a fair duel. Nor should you expect me to not use any and all my advantages. Let your dog come. I’ll put that mutt down.’ Alexi thought to herself as she stayed where she was, unmoving as a small smirk came to her face. She closed her eyes for a moment as another voice came along the wind- their proctor it would seem.
The voice was definitely female, confident, seductive- and soon explaining the rules to the exam. The objective wasn’t to kill- but to immobilize, it was something the young doctor could do much easier than the other knight. Short of driving his blade through her body or managing to get a heavy object- tree or even his fat a** dog; he couldn’t meet the objective... Without potentially killing his opponent that is. The pale haired girl only shook her head for a moment as the woman announced the start of the exam, ‘Just means I’ll have to be more careful fulfilling this mission. No time for error.’ She thought to herself as her olive eyes opened once more, quickly leaving the dusky forest around her. From where she stood she had a pretty clear view of the bridges and the small plateau in the middle of this arena. Unsurprisingly the male had made his way towards the middle of the plateau; Alex merely pushed herself from the tree she had been leaning up against, waking along the edge of the shade of one of the large trees as she observed the dog grow in size tremendously. In truth she was in plain view if for only a moment, seeing the dog’s true form was enough to make her leap back into the forest. And begin to run towards its depths, she began to focus her qi into her palms and began to crawl up her arms in a dull light. ‘The bigger you.. the more fun it’ll be to take you down.’ She thought to herself as a loud blast sounded off in the direction she had just left. The crackle of new fire quickly spreading through the lush woods; but the girl was still ahead of the flame- it wasn’t yet a problem.
The paled haired girl kept her rapid pace as her qi began to branch off from her body- forming small thin threads which were visible for only a brief moment as they attached themselves to random bits of trees and undergrowth. An extensive web was being created- one which used her own scent as bait. Even if the flames licked at the threads, they wouldn’t break. Instead they’d fall to the ground if anything- a deadly snare no matter how the mutt trashed the woods. Even a light touch underfoot would begin to sap the qi from its owner. Alexandria began to slow down as she reached a particularly strange clearing- it was devoid of much growth at all but a small stream could be heard nearby. The pale haired girl came to a stop in the middle of the clearing as she looked down the path she had come. She could sense some of the threads had fallen- no doubt because of the growing fire. A small smirk crossed the girl’s lips as she waited for a moment, her qi forming once more around her limbs a pale glow becoming ever stronger. ‘Now to see how long you wait before you come into my web.’ Alexi thought to herself.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇Qi: 25,039/30,039 | Mobility: 199/201 | Word Count: 668
Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2014 2:21 pm
OOC: || Word Count: 700 Yggdmillennia Seal: On Back of Blazer & Vest, and as a small emblem on the front breast.
No noise, no screams due to being set ablaze. Nothing. The only prominent noise belonged to the flames that burned against the trees themselves. He should have figured that Miss Ferdinand would not come out into the opening to face him, but going into the recesses of the forest in order to chase after her was not something he wanted to know. Seeing as she had arrived first, there was no telling what traps she had managed to set up within the forest itself. But, if he did not pursue her, then they would be at a stalemate in which neither side progressed any further and since the exam had no time limit, simply drawing out the fight would not serve either of them. So in this game of possum he would have to track her down. "We're moving, Sirzechs." With that, Lloyd ran back across the bridge before Sirzechs took a mighty leap and landed on the same side as his master. The moment they entered the forest their run became a slow trot before switching into a slow walk. Durandal remained gripped in his hands and held out before his body. "Where to?" questioned Lloyd as they continued to press forwards. "Straight ahead. Her scent is getting stronger." That was all he needed to hear. Although, the sound of Sirzech's paws as they thrashed against the ground with every motion was not one that could be missed. If she could hear it as well, then he doubted that she would simply remain stagnant and not go further into the forest in order to escape their pursuit. His walk would have continued had his blade not come into contact with something. The blade had hit something, but he could not see what it had hit. In fact, he would have claimed it as a barrier if he had done moved the blade up slightly before it hit a similar opposing force. What was it that his blade was hitting against but could not cut? What was durable enough to resist the sharpness of a blade, yet remained invisible to the naked eye? "Sirzechs, wait. Do not move any further."
Pulling his blade back from whatever he could not cut through, he took a small step to the side before pointing the blade downwards. Once again, the blade came into contact with something it could not cut. Having lifted the blade upwards, he repeated the same motion before pulling his blade back for a final time. "A net..? Maybe?" questioned Lloyd as he turned to look up at Sirzechs. The three-headed dog demon had no response for his words so he moved once again. From his feeling around the area with his blade he had gained a pretty good understanding of where the net like trap had been set up, but one more test would need to be done in order to plan his next move accordingly. Moving to the side once more, he took up an attacking stance before swinging downwards as hard as he could. When the blade hit nothing but the ground itself, he smiled lightly. "I can not say for sure if the trap starts in another location or not, but for the time being, this area before me is free of a trap. Immediately, the three-headed dog demon began to drop in size and weight before the three heads became a singular head. Jumping into his master's arms, the trio got very low before moving through the space that held no resistance berfore continuing through the forest. "Whatever that may have been, I have caught her scent once more." Putting the dog demon back onto the ground, he gave it a silent nod before following behind the demon as it ran forwards chasing the scent of their target. Soon enough he had entered a sort of clearing and a little ways ahead of him was Miss Ferdinand. He made no attempt to try and mask the sounds of his footsteps, and instead of rushing her he simply stopped about ten yards away from his target. "Miss Ferdinand, I've found you." Pointing the blade towards his opponent, he waited for her response at his presence.
The young doctor could feel a few waves of qi return from the farthest of the threads that had still hung high from the branches and tree tops. A brief success, but was soon met by a lack of movement for a few minutes. The girl began cutting the connections. But they were rapidly replaced and multiplied in the empty clearing. In a matter of minutes the clearing had been transformed into a spider’s nest, thin threads of qi glowing eerily where the moon light touched it and practically invisible to the human eye where they lay in darkness. There were very few places where one could fight without touching at least a few of the thin threads. Even if the surrounding trees were brought down, it’d be near impossible to walk without stepping on to the massive web. If anything it would be a challenge to maneuver through even for a particularly dexterous individual. ‘Only a matter of time till they arrive… So little time.. But so much to do..’ Alexi thought to herself as she closed her eyes in wait, a few threads still flowing freely from her body onto the ground.
Her estimate wasn’t far off, soon the sound of rapid foots steps could be heard. The boy hadn’t even bothered to mask the sound in the slightest. His hound too made clumsy steps with its over-sized paws. A small smile crossed the girl’s lips as she opened her eyes to meet the gaze of her opponent- he had yet to come in contact with any of the threads. Perhaps a bit of luck on his part, but not all the threads were completely invisible like before… “About time you made it.” The pale haired girl said as a smirk crossed her lips. “You even brought friends~” She exclaimed cheerfully as her arms fell to her side once more, the movement sending a slight wave through the threads, giving off an almost majestic shimmer in the moon light.
Her smile faded as she watched the boy draw his blade and point it towards her. The pale haired girl merely shrugged as she lazily flicked her left hand in his direction- thin thread like wires then stretched out from her palm. They glowed with her pale white qi, in truth the movement wasn’t so much intended to land- as she expected the boy to be able to dodge the attack. But they would have a good chance in directing him towards one of the hidden masses of threads hidden by the shade of the trees. And if they were to connect- it would only be to her benefit. “Shall we play a game…?” Alex questioned him as her right hand grasped the hilt of Avarice, quickly drawing it from its scabbard. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇Qi: 24,039/30,039 | Mobility: 198/201 | Word Count: 463
Posted: Tue Jul 29, 2014 1:01 am
OOC: || Word Count: 481 Yggdmillennia Seal: On Back of Blazer & Vest, and as a small emblem on the front breast.
While waiting for her to respond, he was quick to noticed what looked like various open spaces between rows of threads. They moved along the ground and into the shaded of the trees before disappearing completely. But, even with them obscured, he was sure that they were still there. In fact, it looked more like a spider's web as opposed to just random spaces between each visible spider-like thread. The moonlight only gave him a few visibly spaces to step between and from the looks of it, there may or may not have been a lot more spaces than what he could see. What an elaborate trap. With the presence of the web on the ground itself his movements were being restricted. In fact, they were being more than restricted. At this point, it seemed as though she would be controlling his movements for the duration of their fight. A light glowed on her hand before the same thread that composed both the trap from earlier and the web before him was sent directly at him. Quickly, his eyes scanned for his first set of "boxes" within the web, and just before the threads would connect with him or the Cat Sidhe that remained on his shoulder he moved. A simple movement to the side, though he slammed his foot into the ground as to not move towards the web itself. Jumping backwards he looked up and at the trees this time for support. "Celebron." Immediately the Cat Sidhe lept from his shoulder and into the air before flames coated the inside of its mouth. With the opening of its jaw, two fireballs were released back to back. One to the right side and the other to the left.
When the fireballs landed atop the second row of trees on each side, an explosion occured causing the trees themselves to topple sideways on both sides. The falling trees then served to cover the web like trap that had been previously placed on the ground. As soon as he could feel Celebron on his shoulders once more, the Knight took a heavy step forwards before sprinting towards the fallen trees. A quick leap up sent him up and onto the first knocked over tree before he began to leap across the trees themselves. His body seemed to blur as Sirzechs ran alongside him with no problem. Once close enough, he pushed off of the tree before quickly swinging his blade from above. He himself was not a fan of games, especially when they prolonged a true fight. He simply wished to cross blades until he could bring her down, but no exam ever went the we he planned, and with the environment around them, there were too many variables. Not to mention, there's was the first exam as well. All eyes would be on their exam whether they liked or not.
Alphard sat in her safe position from the higher trees and watched the battle progress. Her legs crossed and dangled over the side of the branch. Her eyes moving left and right as she watched the progressions of the two talented members. She was interested by the skills they could and would display; although the girl Alexandria had piqued her interest the most; although Lloyd had surprised her on a few different levels. The fact that he was a Tamer wasn’t new to her, but the fact one of his familiars was a Cerberus was extremely interesting and out of left field. Alphard looked down at her watch for a second to check the time and then looked back at the battle as Lloyd reached the clearing where Alexandria was waiting for him. She had watched the masterful method the web of Qi was spun and began to clap her hands softly as the girl displayed zero fear in the battle. ’Very clever, she created a web system out of Qi, that’s an advance skill for a Doctor, she’s not some amateur it would appear. Cutting off possible escape paths just like a spider; if she wins this match she might come out of it with a nickname among the board. ’ the woman thought to herself as she watched as Lloyd and the Cat Demon struck at the trees in order to avoid the approaching thread. A smirk came across her glossed lips as she watched the boy leap into the air. ”Not bad…but” she started as she watched the cross sections of the tree split and the boy leaped on top of them. ’His range, is as far as the sword can reach, at this rate, he won’t reach her without getting captured in those threads. Doctors are a tricky bunch to deal with in combat, they are skilled in not only identifying demons but poisons, and Qi manipulation allowing them to heal or remove Qi from those they touch, and these threads are no different, than an expansion of the internal system of Qi within that girl’s body. ’
The Austrian’s smile faded into a frown as she realized her opponent didn’t wish to play her games. His dodge was fairly expected, and the threads fell limply to the ground only to fade away as their ties were cut from her body. The girl’s olive eyes observed as the cat like creature leaped from the boy's shoulders after the simple utterance of its name. The cat sidhe began to channel its inner flames within its unusually large mouth, before then shooting out two separate fire balls out towards the tree line. The movement was clever and the cat’s aim even more curious- two different trajectories, back to back- quite a feat if there was one. However, before the nearest tree had begun to fall the doctor could see what his intentions were.
It was an incredibly direct move, one that was painfully obvious to read… He was going to try and charge her with some sort of frontal assault, and use the fallen trees as a means to penetrate the labyrinth that had become to the girl’s web. ‘Not sure I’d do that if I were you.’ The girl thought to herself as she brought her left hand to a small container like bag on her back side. Instinctively unlatching the nearest bag containing five small vials, the liquid inside- clear, odorless… for now. Her finger tips effortlessly grasped the nearest vial- for these five were all the same before bringing the small object back towards the front of her body. Her index finger floating away from the glass vial lazily as she dragged it across the back of her right hand, sweat having begun to trickle down much of her body. The upkeep of her web was becoming extensive and her opponents movements weren’t giving her much opportunity to steal his qi or that of his pets. In short the young doctor was losing qi quicker than she had anticipated.
Bringing the vial close to the hilt of her blade the pale haired girl dragged her index finger purposefully across a jagged edge of the elaborate cup that surrounded her right hand. The jagged metal cutting her sensitive skin with ease as the iron rich substance began to flow freely from the shallow wound. Pressing her index finger against the bud like “port” the messy mixture of sweat and blood covered the small opening. Once the doctor felt comfortable in the amount of bodily fluid she had left she quickly screwed the small bottle to the port before preparing herself for the incoming attack. The liquid would change into a gas with presence of the blood and sweat, making it become a dangerous and invisible weapon. A small smirk crossing her lips as she felt the vibrations of the trees bring her webs of qi to the ground, she quickly began to cut the ties of the threads that had been rendered useless as she prepared for his assault.
The sounds of her opponents footsteps rushing along the length of the ancient trees were easy to make out… Even if his movements were a bit of a blurr. The boy was much quicker than she, but even so he was a bit careless. The dark haired boy and his mutt blindly charged forth the cat perched on his shoulder. A faint smile crossed the doctors lips as she took a slight step back, raising her blade up above her body to prevent his sword from crashing down onto her body. The edges of their blades would clash, the steel rubbing against the other as she drew the sword slowly closer towards the male’s upper torso. It would only be a short while till he’d likely begin to smell the seductive scent of the poisonous perfume known as Kugutsukou… Or the Puppet perfume. It's fumes would waft up from the tip of her blade, invisible to the human eye but its smell ever so tempting, and unusual- a dead give away that something was awry.. But it would then be too late. Typically the perfume something used in self-defense for its short lasting effects.. For men effected they lost control of their body for a short period of time.. Making it a perfect choice to met the objective of this exam. Soon after the clash of blades, Alexi brought her left hand up towards the approaching knight and his dog, perhaps out of respect for his prowess in battle. Or fear?
‘Surely you didn’t think I’d run..?’ She questioned herself as pale light emanated from many points in the girl’s left hand, predominately the palm and finger tips. Soon the thread like fibers of qi would fly out towards her opponents in an effort to ensnare them.
OOC: I’m sorry. LOL. /// minor edit 9:58 AM CST.
for your benefit: Medicine Name: Kugutsukou (Puppet Perfume) Medicine Type: Poison Medicine Description: One of the 200 poison concoctions developed by Yamato Kudo, it was created and worn as a perfume that only affected men whom inhaled the odor. It’s known as Puppet Perfume, it uses an odorless and colorless poison that is sprayed on to the body as a fragrant and mixes with the wearer’s body chemistry in order to create a unique scent to that is desirable to those whom are close enough to their body in order to inhale the scent. The poison allows the user to control the inhaler’s movements against their will, as if they were zombies or robots, giving them simple commands. The poison is extremely useful in situations that the user; becomes a hostage of some sort and are unable to move freely. The poison is activated by the user’s sweat and then by touch causing the scent to flow off of their body. It’s extremely short range, so it can only be utilized when the target is within arms distance away of the user. Women are also unaffected by this poison. The Puppet Perfume has been purchased as a perfume throughout the years by women of every age to be used as a self-defense against rapists. Although the effects are canceled out by a heavy dosage of water or physical pain. Effect Period: Puppet Perfume has an effect time of 5 Posts and the user will have to keep administering the poison in order to keep the effect going.
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OOC: || Word Count: 357 Yggdmillennia Seal: On Back of Blazer & Vest, and as a small emblem on the front breast.
Before he had managed to actually get near her he had seen her take something out before uncapping it. Now while he had never stopped their clashing of blades, he had held his breath moments before getting close to her. "Hold your breaths, and when you get the chance, move back." Now, it was simply a matter of time ticking away before he would be unable to hold his breath anymore. He was almost sure that something had been released into the air that would probably hinder him, but he could not worry about that. With the limited air he had managed to take in and hold, he would simply have to utilize to the best of his abilities. When lights began to glow from various points on her hand, he pushed off of her blade before landing back onto a one of the knocked down trees. The instant in which the thread like fibers were expelled from her hand, he quickly rolled to the side before popping back up to his feet. The sound of earrings clashing together would then resonate throughout the area as Celebron's earrings joined together. Only moments after though, a physical illusion of Lloyd, wielding Durandal, created by his familiar would have taken a large swing at Miss Ferdinand's back in order to try and strike her down. The instant in which he returned to his feet Celebron lept from Lloyd's shoulder before falling back a few branches with Sirzechs in order to follow their masters' command. Now standing besides one another, Celebron glared at the female doctor in front of their master. Sirzechs however simply released a low growl in annoyance. He was rather upset that the girl had not simply gone down, and the fact that she was using threads that they could barely see only served to infuriate the dog-demon. Unable to hold his breath any longer, Lloyd took in a breath of the rather seductive scent that filled the area around him. He was not sure what was going to happen next, but whateveri t was, he would have to find a way to work through it regardless.
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